


Observing an Eagle

by brooklynapple



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Timeskip, Studying, noble/commoner, they don't yet know how much they'll change each other's lives, very slow burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:35:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22581112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brooklynapple/pseuds/brooklynapple
Summary: By some strange stroke of fate, Dorothea, a nobody plucked off of the streets, is studying side by side with the future rulers of Fodlan, and she knows her entire future rests on how well she can learn and understand their ways, their foibles and their motivations. Especially those of the enigmatic, white-haired scion of Adrestia’s ruling family, who will one day inherit the power to reshape the world if she so chooses.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg
Comments: 10
Kudos: 56





	Observing an Eagle

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as a drabble for #Edeltheaweek Day 1, and turned into 1300 words of Dorothea observing Edelgard. She doesn't know what to make of her yet, but this marks the very beginning of a relationship that will change both her life and the course of Fodlan's history.

Dorothea supposes that it’s natural for her Garreg Mach classmates to spend a lot of time studying - they are students, after all, tasked with becoming Fodlan’s next generation of leaders. (Though she doesn’t truly believe that anyone expects her, an unimportant commoner, to lead anything unless it only requires a song or a pretty face.)

Still, it’s clear that some students study much harder than others. Lysithea is in the library until the wee hours of the morning most days, driven by some all-consuming motivation that she refuses to share. Petra and Felix can be found at the training grounds any time they have a moment to spare. And a candle is almost always burning late into the night at Hubert’s window, where he can be seen poring over papers and maps and correspondence, no doubt in the service of the Empire.

Dorothea puts plenty of effort into her schoolwork, knowing that as a commoner she can’t afford to let her marks slide, but the real focus of her studies is her fellow students. Most of her classmates bear names that she grew up hearing all of her life, even as an orphan on the streets of Enbarr. Von Aegir, Goneril, Gautier, Riegan, Blaiddyd, Gloucester, von Vestra - to a commoner, these are the near-mythological names of the powerful forces that control all of Fodlan, whose edicts and whims could dictate every aspect of the common folks’ lives. And none resonate in Dorothea’s mind as strongly as von Hresvelg, the ruling power behind the Adrestian Empire.

By some strange stroke of fate, Dorothea, a nobody plucked off of the streets, is studying side by side with the future rulers of Fodlan, and she knows her entire future rests on how well she can learn and understand their ways, their foibles and their motivations. Especially those of the enigmatic, white-haired scion of Adrestia’s ruling family, who will one day inherit the power to reshape the world if she so chooses. 

And so Dorothea plans her own course of study, in the hours she doesn’t spend in the classroom or the training grounds. She intuits that most of the students see Edelgard as a reserved, cautious, and meticulous house leader, whose methods rely on requiring excellence and discipline from every member of her house, and who keeps her cards close to her chest. They aren’t wrong, Dorothea thinks, but her own circumspect observation leads her to believe that there is more to Edelgard than she lets on through her carefully-cultivated exterior. 

Dorothea often sees her deep in conversation with Hubert in obscure corners of the monastery, their hushed tones and grim faces suggesting that their discussion touches on something other than the petty rivalries of Garreg Mach student houses. It hasn’t escaped her notice that they both receive a great deal of correspondence bearing the seals of Imperial houses, and that Hubert often pulls her aside to whisper intently in her ear after receiving a thick packet of letters.

Then there is the matter of Edelgard herself. There is a day when the dining hall serves a particularly messy cut of meat that is meant to be eaten by hand, and Dorothea notices Edelgard ask for a knife and fork, unwilling to remove or soil her pristine white gloves. Thinking back, Dorothea realizes that she has never seen Edelgard without her gloves, nor has she seen any of her skin exposed beyond her neck and face. She watches Edelgard closely after that, and notes that not even on the hottest days or in the heaviest rain does Edelgard ever uncover an inch of her skin or remove her sodden gloves. 

There are also the times Dorothea catches her staring into the distance with an intense, far-off expression, a troubled look in her striking purple eyes. In moments of fatigue, her poised bearing and perfect posture sometimes betray an underlying tension, as though she is bracing herself for a blow but doesn’t know when or from where it will come. Dorothea files all of these things away in her mind, trying to complete her picture of a powerful woman with troubling secrets at the mere age of seventeen. After all, the secrets and games of the nobility may very well be matters of life and death for the common folk, as Dorothea knows all too well.

She finally finds Edelgard alone one night in the library, looking especially tense and exhausted, and decides to put her observations to the test.

“What’s on your mind, Edie? It seems like something’s been troubling you lately. If you need someone to lend an ear, I’m here.” She notices Edelgard tuck a stray lock of hair back into place with her immaculately gloved hands. Her crystalline purple eyes look up from the tome on the desk below her, and she fixes her piercing gaze on Dorothea, a commoner who has dared to ask what might trouble an Emperor-in-waiting. Dorothea sees all of this, and does not look away.

“Hello Dorothea. Thank you for asking about me, but I’m fine. Keeping up with my studies and Imperial business often requires long hours.” Her smile is utterly composed, but the tension hasn’t left her shoulders.

“I can imagine that keeping up with the affairs of the nobility must be especially exhausting. Do you ever take time to relax? Even future emperors need to rest sometime.”

“How I wish I didn’t have to trouble myself with the affairs of the nobility. They’re all useless at best, and monsters at worst.” Her mask slips just a bit, eyes glinting with anger. “I imagine you know that more than most people here.”

Dorothea arches her eyebrows, her surprise only half-feigned. “You’re right about that. Oh, the stories I could tell...but I’m surprised to hear such talk coming from Adrestia’s next Emperor. Aren’t these your peers that you’re talking about?”

“If I had my way, they wouldn’t be. When I’m Emperor, things will be different. I want people of ability and conscience in charge of Fodlan. People who care about governing and not just about houses and crests.” The conviction in her voice is unmistakable.

“That sounds like a lovely dream, but I imagine the nobles won’t go quietly.” Dorothea is more than curious about the unexpected turn this conversation has taken.

“They don’t have to go quietly, they just have to go. That's why I'm here. I need to know who will join me, and who will be my enemy.” Her eyes never leave Dorothea’s. Dorothea realizes several things at once. She’s not the only one who has been studying her peers, and Edelgard is far more dangerous - and fascinating - than she ever suspected. 

“You truly want to end the nobility? Count me in.” She smiles conspiratorially and holds Edelgard’s gaze. “I have no house or army or wealth to offer, but it sounds like that’s not what you’re looking for anyway.”

Edelgard chuckles softly. “I’m not quite sure what I’m looking for yet, but I’m happy to have your support. There may very well come a time when I need it. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time that I retire for the night.” Her chair scrapes against the library floor as she stands, closing her book. She turns to leave, and then pauses. “Thank you, Dorothea. You’re right, this all does weigh on me sometimes. It’s good to know I have someone else on my side.”

Dorothea dares to reach out and put a gentle hand on Edelgard’s arm. “Of course, Edie. I’m always here for you if you need to talk. Sleep well.” 

“You too. Goodnight, Dorothea.” She can’t quite read the look on Edegard’s face in the moment before she leaves, but watches thoughtfully as Edelgard turns and walks out of the library. The future is suddenly full of intriguing possibilities, and the charismatic, white-haired future ruler of Adrestia is at the center of them all. It seems that her studies are paying off.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm @quorniya on Twitter. Thanks for reading!


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